Electric switch mechanism.



E. EDWARDS & G. W. BRIGGS.

ELECTRIC SWITCH MECHANISM.

urmoumx FILED 1101!.20, 1911.

Patented Nov. 19, 1912.

3 BHEETS-BHEET 1.

V/xl V//7 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIA III] Ill/II/l/I/I/I/III/III/II/I/ E. EDWARDS & G. W. BRIGGS.

ELECTRIC SWITCH MECHANISM.

MIMI Patented Nov. 19, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

llllllll E. EDWARDS & G. W. BRIGGS.

ELECTRIC SWITCH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20, 1911.

.Patented NOV. 19, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES rArENT OFFICE.-

ERNEST EDWARDS AND GEORGE W. BRIGGS, OF RIGBY, IDAHO. I

ELECTRIC SWITCH MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patgnted Nov; 19,1912

- Application filed November 20,1911. Serial No. 661,225.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ERNEST EDWARDS and GEORGE W. Bmccs,citizens of the United States, residing at Rigby, in the cognty of Fremont and State of Idaho, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switch Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

. This invention relates to improvements in electric sign mechanism, and has for its principal object to provide a construction of few and simple parts to occupy a limited space in the sign case, and to be comparatively inexpensive in construction.

The invention has reference to the employment of an electromagnet and mechanism connected therewith for the intermittentflashing of the electric lights of a sign, .the make-an'd-break contact for the electromagnet being effected, in part, by gravity,

and dispensing with the usual mechanism required'for that purpose.

The invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as described herein and claimed, and

asillustrated in the drawing, it being understood that changes in form, size, proportion and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of the application,-Figure 1 is a plan View of an electric sign and 'mechanism therefor illustrating one embodiment of the invention, the casing for the sign being in section, and parts of the frame for the electromagnet being broken away. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail relating to Fig. 1, showing a vertical side view of the electromagnet and parts for producing an automatic make-andbreak engagement of the armature with the electromagnet, the view being a section between lines a a and 7) Z) of Fig. 3, the switch bar being in contact with the projection of the conductor bracket. Fig, 3 is an enlarged detail,.being a section on line a c of Fig. 1, the electric wiring being omitted, and a support for the flasher-board being added. Fig. 4 is a bro-ken away view showing a part of the rear side of the sign case and showing relative positions of the ratchet wheel, pinions and plunger for actuating the shaft of the distributing ring. Fig. 5 is a plan View of the parts shown in Fig. 4, a flasher-board and plan for a control of the lighting or wiring being added, the up er part of the frame'ofthe electromagnet e- 1ng omitted. Fig. dis a rear face View of the -fiaeher-board. Fig. 7 isa View somewhat similar to Fig. 2, showing relative posltlon of parts when the switch bar is not in contact with the conductor bracket. Fig. 8 is anenlarged detail showingthe plunger and its housing or case. Fig. 9 is anenlarged detail relating to Fig. 3 to clearly show the.

mounting of the switch bar and its connec-".

tions. Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail relatingto Figs. 1 and 5, to clearly show the concentrator-block and its resiliently mounted conductor, a part of the flasher-board being shown in section. Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail relating to the contact terminal of the shaft-arm. Fig. 12 is a sectional detail relating to the distributing wheel and its connections.

Referring now to the drawing for a more particular descriptiomnumeral 15 indicates a support or case for an electric flash si which may be providedwith suitable designating characters 16. Inthe presentinstance, seven of these characters andseven lamps adjacent thereto are shown, but the particular number of these parts is not important and may be changed if desired.

At 17 is indicated a battery. Leading to this battery is a single wire 18 which is in communication with all of the lamps.

At- 19 is indicated a suitable frame for the mounting therein of an electromagnet 20 and providing bearings for a horizontal shaft 21,.said shaft being rotatable by means presently to be described. Upon the front end of shaft 21 is shown a metallic distributing ring or wheel 22 this being suitably insulated from and mounted upon the shaft. Suitably insulated and mounted upon frame 19 is contact finger 24 which engages the periphery of wheel 22, and at 25 is indicated a crank or arm provided at' its terminal with the resiliently mounted contactshoe 26.

.At 27 is indicated a flasher-board of non conducting material in which may be transversely mounted-plugs or bearing-blocks 28, and at 29 is indicated a resiliently mounted bearing-block, these blocks being mounted to describe a circle. Each of blocks 28 has a separate wire 30 in communication with a wire 30' leading to one of the electric lamps 31, one of the parallel conductingplates 32 of concentrator-block 33 being the block 28 and one terminal of each wire 30' of each lamp being mounted in contact with a plate 32. Parallel conducting-plates 32 are insulated as best shown in Fig. 10, and their inner ends are disposed adjacent to the transverse, movable conducting-plate 34. Plate 34 is provided with arms 35 mounted in suitable openings formed in the flasher board, and upon the opposite end of these arms the resilient bearing plate 29 is mounted, springs 36 normally preventing engagement of plate 34 with conducting-plates 32.

At 37 is indicated a wire leading from contact finger 24 to battery 17, and as described, it will be seen that a rotatable movement of shaft 21 in either direction will cause arm 25 to move, its shoe 26 describing a circle and making contact, in succession, with each block 28 and block 29 during one rotation of the shaft. Since each bearing block is directly connected by a wire witi a single lamp, the lamp may be flashed whenever a circuit is established between the bearing block and the shoe of the movable arm 25, and when the shoe of arm 25 makes contact with block 29 springs 36 will be compressed and plate 34 may make contact with all of parallel plates 32 with the result that all of the lamps may be flashed simultaneously. The number of the lamps and wires therefor may, of course, be increased or decreased, the operation of arm being the same; and while I have shown a single concentrator-block 29, more than one can be employed, if desired. To provide means for the rotation of shaft 21, said means to consist of few and simple parts and to be antomatic in operation, a switch-bar 38 may be ivotally mounted upon the vertical arm of bracket 39, said bracket being preferably of metal and disposed adjacent to the armature 40 of the electromagnet and mounted insulated upon the lower part of frame 19. The switch-bar may be constructed with a reduced part or recess 40 formed in its side and with a side projection or contact-head 41 near its free end and adjacent to recess. 40. Bracket 39 is provided with a contact finger 42 projecting outwardly in a direction of the switch-bar. The switch-bar is insulated from the body of bracket 39 by insulation indicated at 39.

On account of its weight, the armature will normally be disposed in its lowermost position upon the stop or spring 43, this stop being mounted upon the lower part of "frame 19; and the armature is provided with a contact-pin 44 which projects outwardly therefrom a sufficient distance to make a gontact with the lower edge of the switch- The contactin is provided with a wire 45 leading to t e electromagnet. A wire 46 connects the electromagnet with battery 47 and a wire 48 connects batter 47 with bracket 39. Since bracket 39 is of metal and )roperly insulated, and since finger 42 may e an integral part of this bracket, an electric circuit will be established whenever the contact-head 41 of the switch is in engagement with contact-finger 42.

In operation, the armature will move upwardly to an engagement with the electromagnet, if the switch is in contact with pin 44. As the armature moves upwardly the contact-head 41 will remain in engagement with finger 42 during the first part of said upward movement; but the con'tacbhead will become disengaged from finger 42 dur ing the latter part 0 the upward movement, for the reason that the finger at that time will be disposed in recess 40, and the contact will be broken. The contact being broken, the armature will move downwardly to the stop 43 again, and these movements will be repeated. The make-and-break engagement as described is therefore considered to be automatic. The operation of the armature, as described, will cause a rotation of shaft 21. Upon this shaft may be mounted a gear wheel 49.

At 50 is indicated a horizontal shaft having suitable bearings in frame 19 and casing 15, and provided with a small pinion 51 in engagement with gear wheel 49.

At 52, mounted on shaft 50 is a ratchet wheel.

At 54 is indicated a plunger or pawl, its

shank or lower end being slidably mounted in a case or housing 55.

At 56 is indicated a tilting arm; one of its ends is mounted upon the armature, its

opposite end being disposed below the proecting arm 57 of the pawl; and in operation, the upward movement of the armature will cause the pawl to slide upwardly in its housing or case, to cause a movement of the ratchet wheel. The rotatable movement of e contact and when shoe 26 engages member 29, sprin 36 will be compressed, and plate 34 wil move into contact with plates 32.

At 58 is indicated a stop mounted upon bracket 39 to limit the rearwardly swinging movement of the switch-bar; and a brake 59 may bear u on drum 60 for limiting the movement 0 the ratchet wheel.

Having fully described the several parts and their uses, a further explanation relating to operation is not necessary.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with an electromagnet of a vertically movable core and armature therefor, means actuated by the movement of said armature for intermittently making and breaking an energizing circuit to said magnet, said core and armature being moved upwardly by the energizing of said magnet and descending by gravity, a gravity pawl, a support upon which said pawl is slidably mounted, a member carried by the armature and underlying the lower end of said pawl, a driven shaft, means for converting upward movement of said pawl into rotative movement of said shaft, a circuit closing crank arm carried by said shaft, a plurality of lamp circuits, an individual contact member for each circuit with which contact members the circuit closing crank arm successively contacts, and a circuit closing member common to all of said lamp circuits which is engaged and actuated by. said crank arm in its travel.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a rotative shaft, of means for imparting intermittent rotative movement to said shaft, a circuit closing crank arm carried by said shaft, a distributer member, a plurality of lamp circuits, a plurality of fixed individual contact members for each of said lamp circuits, a yieldingly mounted contact member carried by the crank arm for engaging the individual contact members, and a laterally movable and yieldingly mounted contact member common to all of said lamp circuits and with which the contact members of the crank engages, to actuate the same, during its travel.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a rotative shaft, of means for imparting intermittent rotative movement to said shaft, a circuit closing crank arm carried by said shaft, a distributer u ember, a plurality of lamp circuits, a plurality of fixed individual contact members for each of said lamp circuits, a yieldingly mounted contact member carried by the crank arm for engaging the individual contact members, and a laterally movable and yieldingly mounted cont-act member common to all of said lamp circuits and with which the contact members of the crank engages, to actuate the same, during its travel, the individual contact members comprising a series of bars insulated from each other and the common contact member com prising a plate of such amplitude as to overlie and simultaneously engage the ends of all of said bars when said plate is moved laterally.

In testimony whereof we have affixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST EDWVARDS. GEORGE WV. BRIGGS. Witnesses:

JosEPI-I EDWARDS, ARTHUR G. EDWARDS. 

